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Original poster

Is this a child protection issue

145 replies

Elisheva · 18/01/2022 18:45

My dd is 7. During her swimming lesson today there was a man in swimming trunks sat on the side of the pool watching the swimming lessons. During swimming lesson times the pool is closed to other swimmers. I asked at reception and they said that the man was cooling off after using the sauna, which is in a room off the pool.
The children sit on a ledge during their lessons while waiting for their turn and the man was sat next to them.
Parents are not allowed poolside during lessons, and currently (because of covid) parents of children over 8 are not allowed to watch from the gallery.
The staff member said that there was nowhere else for the man to sit, that him being in trunks was irrelevant, and that it was no different to the parents watching from the gallery.
I am very uneasy about this situation. I know that the man was doing nothing wrong but it seems to be a situation that could be taken advantage of. I’m not sure whether to take it further and email the centre manager.
What do you think?

OP posts:
Original poster
Elisheva · 18/01/2022 21:42

Thank you for the clarification re safeguarding and child protection, you’re right I mean a safeguarding issue.
The pool is not open to the public during swimming lessons, so the man wasn’t in the pool he was sat on a ledge at the side. I also don’t think that this particular man was up to anything, I’m concerned that the set up could be a safeguarding risk.

OP posts:
AsYouWishButtercup · 18/01/2022 23:22

If the lesson was a private lesson how was he allowed to dip his legs in the pool?

Maybe he didn’t know it was a private lesson and the pool staff need to be more clear to everyone about timings?

I don’t think adults and children being able to mix in a pool is even a safeguarding issue, and I’m a bit Confused that some people are alarmed that he was wearing trunks. What’s he’s supposed to wear in a swimming pool, a fluffy onesie?

I have to say assuming every man who happens to be within eyeline of children who aren’t theirs being accused of being a danger really doesn’t help the cause of protecting children.

MissM2912 · 18/01/2022 23:28

It’s a bit odd that he would want to sit there but don’t think he is doing anything actually wrong at this point.

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NeedAHoliday2021 · 18/01/2022 23:33

This is like our local fb group where people go nuts because a 70 yo man sat on a bench in a play park watching dc play. They all decided he was a paedofile. Dh gets great enjoyment from our dc’s giggles so I’m sure at 70 he’d enjoy seeing dc having fun in the park. Nothing sinister. I can’t imagine I’d even clock that at the swimming pool.

GalaxyPostcard · 18/01/2022 23:34

Hang on so the pool is closed to non learners whilst children are learning, including to parents, but a half naked man can come in and sit by the children whilst the instructors are busy teaching?

That's creepy as. Even if it is allowed would he not think, hmmm, best not sit next to this group of children who are obviously being taught to swim.

GreenTeaPingPong · 18/01/2022 23:34

As an aside: wtf is going on when you can go to a restaurant, pub, club, concert, but you can't watch your child swim from a gallery 'because of covid'? What a stupid rule.

Changethetoner · 18/01/2022 23:42

It's not a stupid rule. Covid mitigations are things like extra ventilation, which I doubt is possible, or desirable in a swimming pool area. I imagine the air is quite stuffy, and humid, and absolutely a risk for covid spread. So it is perfectly reasonable to limit the numbers of non-swimmers - ie parents viewing lessons.

AsYouWishButtercup · 18/01/2022 23:44

@GalaxyPostcard

Hang on so the pool is closed to non learners whilst children are learning, including to parents, but a half naked man can come in and sit by the children whilst the instructors are busy teaching?

That's creepy as. Even if it is allowed would he not think, hmmm, best not sit next to this group of children who are obviously being taught to swim.

FFS maybe he’s ‘half naked’ because he is at the swimming pool, why is this considered a red flag
HobgoblinGold · 18/01/2022 23:45

Absolutely not.

AsYouWishButtercup · 18/01/2022 23:46

Also I don’t think men who aren’t actually pedophiles should have an obligation to behave like people assume they are. He’s paid for a visit, why should he be booted out because of incompetent staff and the worry that he might come across the wrong way by OTT parents

viques · 18/01/2022 23:53

@PaddleBoardingMomma

One of my fave things to do is getting into the pool after the sauna, so so refreshing! I'd be miffed if I couldn't after paying for the privilege! Although as a woman, I doubt anyone would give a hoot.
Couldn’t you just have a shower instead of sharing your sweat with innocent swimmers?
Original poster
Elisheva · 18/01/2022 23:58

He’s paid for a visit to the sauna, which he has come out of and sat by the pool. The pool only has swimming lessons going on - there are no other people in or around the pool at this time.
And he’s not just within eyeline of the children, he’s in touching/talking distance.
Anyway, I’m not suggesting that this individual is a pedophile, or saying that he was behaving like one. My concern is that a pedophile could take advantage of this set up to be close to children.
Everyone else in the room has to be DBS checked, but this guy is allowed to walk around and sit next to the children?

OP posts:
VioletLemon · 19/01/2022 00:01

He should have been moved for the duration of lesson. It's not appropriate for an unknown adult male or female to be sitting beside a class of children. Most adults would have the awareness to sense it could be uncomfortable for the children. Are you sure he isn't known to one of them?!

DiddyHeck · 19/01/2022 00:03

Everyone else in the room has to be DBS checked, but this guy is allowed to walk around and sit next to the children?

For goodness sake he's not alone with the children so that's why he doesn't have to be DBS checked.

Shocker: Guys can walk around and sit next to children outside of the swimming pool too. Have you seen the seating arrangements on buses and trains?

Christoncrutches · 19/01/2022 00:08

I think it's important to detail what you mean by 'sitting next to children' also - there's a huge difference between sitting near and sitting next to someone... eg if you were in a park with lots of available seating yet a stranger chose to sit right next to you, that would ring alarm bells. If they chose to sit on a bench near you, it would be less threatening.

Also, who was there first?

Birdkin · 19/01/2022 00:08

@DiddyHeck

Everyone else in the room has to be DBS checked, but this guy is allowed to walk around and sit next to the children?

For goodness sake he's not alone with the children so that's why he doesn't have to be DBS checked.

Shocker: Guys can walk around and sit next to children outside of the swimming pool too. Have you seen the seating arrangements on buses and trains?

Yes there are frequently non-DBS checked adults in schools (contractors etc) but that’s fine as long as they are with an adult who is DBS checked at all times. Non dbs checked adults should never be left alone with children but they’re allowed to be near children.

Absolutely speak to the swimming pool management if you’re uncomfortable that it may lead to safeguarding issues and you’d like them to change their policy but it isn’t a safeguarding issue now.

Original poster
Elisheva · 19/01/2022 00:24

Shocker: Guys can walk around and sit next to children outside of the swimming pool too. Have you seen the seating arrangements on buses and trains?
Yes but on buses and trains I would expect other adults to be there, I did not expect anyone else to be there during the swimming lesson.

The door to the sauna is next to the swimming pool. He had come out of the sauna and sat on a ledge - it’s the window sill. This is also where the children sit when they have finished their length and are waiting for the rest of the class to finish. When he came out and sat down my daughter was stood less than two feet in front of him, and there were two other children sat on the ledge. The children who finished their lengths then didn’t sit down, they stood at the end of the pool.
It was incongruous because there are literally no other people in the pool at that time apart from children and teachers.

OP posts:
Summerfun54321 · 19/01/2022 00:25

Bit strange that someone is allowed less than 2m from the children while all parents are banned from watching. I’d question the strange covid rules.

Summerfun54321 · 19/01/2022 00:28

Yeah after seeing your update, it’s strange he’s actively getting in the way of the swimming lesson.

saraclara · 19/01/2022 00:33

The children are at no risk from a man who happens to be sitting near them cooling off after a sauna. There are adults there in the form of their teachers and lifeguards.

Outside of lessons, adults and children use the pool together. There far more risk of something happening to a child in that situation. But no-one says that's creepy or a safeguarding issue.

You only care because he's more visible than he would be in a normal session. You're being illogical.

Christoncrutches · 19/01/2022 01:00

Agree with @saraclara - if anything I'd feel reassured that I could monitor their interaction as there are less people in and around the pool.

The chances of this man, who happened to be using the sauna at the same time and wandered into the pool to cool down, behaving in a predatory fashion in such a conspicuous way are very remote.

Obviously you can't police people's thoughts and motivations, but you can do a risk assessment based on common sense, and this wouldn't set off red flags as you're describing it.

AsYouWishButtercup · 19/01/2022 01:04

@Elisheva

He’s paid for a visit to the sauna, which he has come out of and sat by the pool. The pool only has swimming lessons going on - there are no other people in or around the pool at this time. And he’s not just within eyeline of the children, he’s in touching/talking distance. Anyway, I’m not suggesting that this individual is a pedophile, or saying that he was behaving like one. My concern is that a pedophile could take advantage of this set up to be close to children. Everyone else in the room has to be DBS checked, but this guy is allowed to walk around and sit next to the children?
Don’t be so ridiculous OP. Unless you think every human has to be DBS checked before they leave the house?!

Does the pool have a sauna only ticket? Never heard of that.

Your issue here is either one of two scenarios:

  1. The pool staff need to be clearer that this is a children’s private lesson and therefore he can’t be there
  2. Actually they’re not private lessons at all and regular swimmers can be in the pool at the same time as lessons

The second happens in our local pool with a rope marking the sections where the public can swim

AsYouWishButtercup · 19/01/2022 01:05

I did not expect anyone else to be there during the swimming lesson

Surely a teacher or lifeguard was present?!

AsYouWishButtercup · 19/01/2022 01:06

Also if you weren’t allowed to observe then how do you know this? What age are the children in the group?

CatNameChange101 · 19/01/2022 01:09

If he was there for dodgy reasons surely he would watch the kids from the ‘viewing gallery’, not draw attention to himself by staying poolside.

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